HARI-RAYA
The Hari-Raya Puasa
is observed on the day that follows the end of Ramadan. During this festival
Muslims start the day with an ablution (ritual cleansing), attend the Id-al-Fitr
Congregational Prayer, and listen to the khut-bak
(sermon). The men wear white headpieces; the women, white flowing dresses that cover
them from head to foot. The entire community congregates in the mosque, constructed
facing Mecca. It is not just a day of prayer, but also of festivity. As soon
as the prayers are over, the whole town becomes a joyous mass of people going around in
the streets absolving and getting absolved. Food and drinks are served
lavishly. It is a day of generosity and charity.
The Hari-Raya Hadji
is celebrated on the tenth day of the month of Jul-Hadji.
It is the Feast of Sacrifice, during which the wealthy among the Muslims are enjoined to
sacrifice a sheep, a goat, or a bull in the name of Allah, and to distribute the meat
among relatives, neighbors, and the poor. The Hari-Raya Hadji is also a day of
prayer, of forgiveness, of charity, of family reunion, of rejoicing, and of general
festivity.
Other festivals observed among Muslim Filipinos
include the sacred festival of Mauliden Nabi,
birthday of the prophet Mohammed observed on the twelfth day of the month of Maulud; Mispu,
a festival equivalent to the Christian All Saints' Day and celebrated on the fifteenth day
of the month of Shaaban or Taitih; Panulak Balah, a
festival which falls on the last Wednesday of the month of Sappal
and during which all Muslims from all walks of life go to the beach and take a bath to rid
themselves of various "evils"; Miraj,
a feast held on the twenty-seventh of the month of Rajab
during which an account of the Holy Prophet's majestic ascension to heaven is recited in
Arabic and translated into the dialect at the town plaza; and Lailat
Al-Qadr, the anniversary of the revelation of the Holy Quran held on
one of the last two nights of the month of Ramadan.
(Source: Pobre, C.P., et al, 1978. Tuladan, The Philippine
South. Metro Manila, Philippines: The Executive Committee; 160pp.)
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MICHAELMAS
DAY

Vera-Reyes Inc., 1980 |
For both
Muslim and Christian Filipinos in Mindanao, the place to visit on the 29th of September is
Iligan City. Here the Iliganons annually celebrate Michaelmas
Day to commemorate the heroic feats of St. Michael the Archangel
who is worshipped as both patron saint and folk hero of epic proportions. A popular
legend tells of how his image on horseback has single-handedly turned away invaders during
the Moro wars in Mindanao. On Michaelmas Day people crowd the streets to watch the
highlight of the celebration: a festive procession marked by the participation of comedia
actors in their colorful costumes. |
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COMEDIA